1839.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



34.3 



A little further up the valley we reach the works of the Peiitwyn and 

 Golynos Iron Company, where you will find five furnaces all in hlast, and one 

 aljout to be erected ; tliree are blown with hot-air, and two with cold. The 

 produce of the five furnaces is about 450 tons per week. They have just 

 completed first-rate forges and rolling mills, calculated to make .'550 tons of 

 bar and other mallealde iron per week. About a mile above these works, 

 you find those of the British Iron Comjiany, at .Vbersychan. Here are four 

 furnaces in blast, all blown with cold air, and two ont of Ijlast. The four 

 make about 380 tons of pig-iron per week, from wliich they make al)ont 270 

 tons of mallealile iron, and the remainder is made into castings, iS;c. 



We next arrive at the \'arteg Iron Company's works, where you will fiiul 

 five furnaces all in blast, fom' blown with hot, and one with cold air. They 

 l)roduce aliout 350 tons of pig-h*on jier week, from whicli they make al)0ut 

 160 tons of liars and rails, about twenty tons of castings for engine uses, &c., 

 and the remainder is sold for foundry inuposes. 



Pursuing our course for two miles further up this valley, we arrive at the 

 works of tlie Blaenavon Iron Company, where we find five fiu'naces all in 

 blast, Idown with cold air, and six others erecting. Tliis mineral projierty, I 

 am told, is one of the best and most vahialjle in the county of Monmouth, 

 and these works have been long distini^'uished for the sujierior strength, and 

 general excellence of their iron. These five furnaces produce about 400 tons 

 of cast-iron per week, about one-half of whicli is refined, and part of it made 

 into caljle iron, and the remainder is sold for tin-])latcs and foundry work. 

 Tliis company are erecting extensive forges and rolling mills, a4nl will, in a 

 few years, contribvite largely to the supply of bar-iron and rails. 



We have now arrived at at the extremity of tlie first valley, and, crossing 

 the mountain, we will descend to .Vliergavenny. The rolling-mills on the 

 left-hand side are those of the Garndyrris Iron Company, and have been 

 worked for many years Ijy the late firm of Messrs. Ilills and Wheely. They 

 are now united to the Blaenavon Iron Works, and are carried on by the same 

 company. 



By the time we have reached .\bergavenny, I strongly suspect that yon will 

 feel disposed to enjoy the comforts of a good dinner, an evening walk in that 

 most delightful country, and a refreshing sleep, for all of which gratifications 

 you will here find the most ample provision. 



Next morning, after the usual and very necessary iirelirainaries, we resume 

 our tour, and in aliout five miles we reach the works of the Clydaeli Iron 

 Company, at Llanelly. Here are four furnaces at work, and all blown with 

 cold air. They produce aljont 320 tons of pig-iron jier week, from wliich 

 they make about 230 tons of bars, &c., and the remainder is run into castings 

 and liallast iron. 



Tlie Nant-y-glo Works are the next we arrive at, situated, as their name 

 imports, in the Valley of Coal. Here, some years ago, was expended upwards 

 of 50,000/. in attempts to estabUsh a profitable iron work, but without suc- 

 cess ; and not until the property was purchased by the present talented and 

 enteriirising proprietors, Messrs. Joseph and Crawshay Bailey, was any re- 

 mnncriition reaUsed. These works now rank amongst tlie very first class, 

 ilessrs. Bailey have, within the last few years, purcliased the Beaufort Iron 

 Works. At the two cstabhsbraeuts they have fourteen furnaces in blast, ten 

 blown with cold and four with hot-air, and I am informed that they intend 

 erecting four others very soon. Their make of pig-iron is from 1200 to 1300 

 tons per week, from which they make about 750 tons bars, rails, and rods, 

 and the remainder is sold for foundry purposes. 



Near the Nant-y-glo works, and situated in the same valley, are the Coal- 

 brook Vale Company's works, consisting of tliree furnaces, all blown with 

 cold air, and another is about to be erected. The make of the three furnaces 

 is 160 to 180 tons of cast-iron per week, all of which they make into castings, 

 or dispose of for that jmrpose. 



A mile lower down this valley you reach the Blaina and Cwm Celyn Iron 

 Company's iron works. These two properties have recently been piu-chased 

 by a joint-stock company, and promise well for their proprietors. Messrs. 

 Russell and Browns, the former proprietors, are tlie managing directors. At 

 Blaina tliey have two furnaces in blast, and one about to be erected, all blown 

 with cold air. They yield about 120 tons of pig-iron per week, wliich is 

 nearly all made into castings on the spot. At Cwm Celyn they are building 

 four furnaces, the aitire produce of whicli is to be made into mallealile iron. 

 We have now finished om- inspection of the works in the second valley, and 

 will proceed to the third, which is called Ebbw Vale, from the river Ebbw 

 flowing through it. 



The first wprks we reach are the Beaufort, which I have already informed 

 you, belong to Messrs. Bailey, and theii' produce I have included in the return 

 for Nant-y-glo. 



Proceeding onwards, we airive at the Ebbw Vale works, the property of 

 Messrs. Ilarfords, Davies, and Co., who are afso the owners of the Su-howey 

 iron works, situated in tlie next valley. At Ebbw Vale they have three fur- 

 naces in operation, and are biuhhng a fourth. They lilow one furnace with 

 hot, and two with cold air. These furnaces are vciy productive, yielding 100 

 tons per week each. At Sirhowey, they have four furnaces in Ijlast, and one 

 undergoing repairs ; two are blown with hot, and two with cold-air. These 

 furnaces also make about 100 tons per week each, so that at the two works 

 they make about 700 tons of cast-iron weekly ; the whole of which is con- 

 verted into bars, rails and rods. Their make of malleable iron is from 600 

 to 630 tons per week. 



One mile lower downi the Ebbw Vale, you will find the Victoria Iron 

 Works, recently established under the able suiierintendence of Roger Hop- 



kins, Esq. These works belong to tlie Monmontlishire Iron and Coal Com- 

 pany. Only one furnace is yet at work. Init anotlicr is ready to lie blown in, 

 and tliey are erecting two others. Tliey have just commenced the manufac- 

 ture of liar-iron. I have lieen informed that they intend building ten addi- 

 tional furnaces lower down the valley, near to Abercarne. When in fidl 

 operation, they calculate on making 1000 tons of wrought or malleable iron 

 per week ; but this expectation will jirobaldy require a few years for its ac- 

 com})lisliment. 



Having seen all the works in the third valley, we proceed to the fourth, 

 and we here find, first, the Sirhowey works, to which I have already alluded, 

 .and next to these, tlie works of the Tredegar Iron Company. At Tredegar, 

 they have five furnaces in operation, all blown with cold air ; they are biuld- 

 iiig two others, and contemplate the erection of two more, making nine alto- 

 gether. They now produce 400 to 450 tons cast-iron weekly, which is nearly 

 all made into bars, rails, and rods ; of these they make about 330 tons per 

 week. 



We must now travel on to the fifth valley, in which we find only the Rhym- 

 ney and Bute Iron Works, belonging to the joint-stock company of that 

 name. Tliis is a very extensive and most valualile mineral property, and 

 these works bid fair very soon to rival the largest estalilishment in South 

 Wales. They liave now six furnaces in blast, two lilown with hot, and foiu- 

 with cold-air ; and they are Iniilding four others. Tlicy make about 550 tons 

 pig-iron per week, from which they produce 450 to ISO tons malleable iron 

 in the same period of time. 



The whole of tlie works we have visited since we left Xe^\-[)ort, send their 

 iron to that port for shipment, and it is conveyed chiefly down tramroads by 

 locomotive-engines, and by canals. 



We must now take a stretch or five or six miles to the westward, and this 

 will liring us to the hitherto unrivalled estalilishmeiit of Sir John Guest, 

 Lewis, and Co., at Dowlais. Here you will find fifteen fiu'naces in full acti- 

 vity, and four others liuilding. I find tliat I liave omitted to note liow many 

 were blown with hot, and how many with cold air, Init if ray memory serves 

 me correctly, I tliiiik five with the former, and ten witli the latter. These 

 fifteen furnaces make on an average 1350 tons of pig-iron per week, nearly 

 the whole of which is converted into malleable iron, say about 1000 tons 

 bars, r.ails, and rods per week. At this establishment they employ upwards 

 of 4000 hands. 



The next works we reach are tliose of tlie Pcn-y-darran Iron Company. 

 They have six furnaces in blast, and one out, making about 400 to 500 tons 

 cast-u'on per week, and they convert nearly the wliole of it into malleable 

 iron, of which they produce about 400 tons per week. I liclicve the whole 

 of tliese furnaces .are lilown with cold air. 



We have now, gentlemen, performed a very good day's work, and I am 

 sure you will heartily join nie in a proposal to take up our quarters for the 

 night at the Castle Hotel, at Merthyr Tydvil, where I give you my word that 

 you may make yourselves comfortalilc, if you choose. You must take care 

 to muster for breakfast at eight o'clock to-morrow morning, and at nine we 

 will go to see Mr. Crawshay, who is a veiT early man of business. 



The preparations of the morning over, and our arrival having been an- 

 nounced at the Cyfarthfa office, we will now on our way to Cjfarhtfa see the 

 Iron Works, belonging to Messrs. Crawshay and Sons, and shall no doubt be 

 willingly accompanied by Mr. \\'illiams, then- talented engineer. These 

 works are in my opinion the neatest and best arranged in all South Wales, 

 and Mr. Williams I am sure will have pleasure in showing you the whole of 

 the machinery. Amongst other interesting objects for your attention, you 

 may here see the largest pump I ever heard of. The diameter of the working 

 barrel is six feet, and the length of the lift in the barrel is four feet. It 

 pumps up the whole of the river Tatf, and the water, after turning all the 

 wheels about the works, is discharged into the bed of the river. Tliis may 

 appear, at first view, an expensive way of olitaining power ; but experience 

 shows that it is cheaper than erecting a number of small engines, or trans- 

 mitting power through complicated machineiy. Besides the Crfarthfa, 

 Messrs. Crawshay have the Hirwain works, which are situated about some 

 six miles from Merthyr. At the two establishments there are in the whole 

 fourteen blast furnaces, twelve at work, all blown with cold air, and two in- 

 operative. They make about 900 tons of cast-uou per week, and the greatest 

 part of it is made into mallealile iron, of which they produce 600 to 650 tons 

 per week. 



We next visit the Plymouth Iron Works, belonging to Messrs. Richard 

 and Anthony Hill. Here are seven furnaces, all in blast, and all blown with 

 cold air, making 700 tons of cast-iron per week on an average, and from 

 which they make about 600 tons into bars, &c. weekly. 



About six miles from Merthyr, over a mountain, are situated the works of 

 the Aberdare Iron Company. Tliey have six furnaces in blast, two blown 

 with hot, and four with cold air, producing 350 to 400 tons cast-iron per 

 week. They make about 220 tons bar-iron per week, and the remainder of 

 their produce is disjioscd of for foundry jiurposcs. 



At the Pentyrch Iron Works, near Cardiff, there are two furnaces in blast, 

 blown with cold air, and making about 150 tons cast-iron weekly. 



The whole of the iron made at the seven last-named works is shipped at 

 Cardirt', where a very commodious dock has recently Iicen constructed by the 

 Marquis of Bute, under the superintendence of William Cubitt, Esq., F.R.S., 

 C.E., for the better accommodatiou of vessels entering that port. 



The statistical information I promised to obtain, 1 found I should have 

 great difficulty in procm-ing * * * i am compelled to offer 



2D 



